Marriage in Turkey / Formalities

According to Turkish Marriage Legislation and regulations, a Turkish national and a foreigner or two foreigners with different nationalities can get married in Turkey, only before the competent Turkish authorities.

Two foreigners from the same nationality can marry either in the offices of their own Country's Embassy or Consulate or before the Turkish Marriage Offices.

All the marriages to be conducted by the Turkish authorities should be regulated according to the merits and procedural provisions of the Turkish Civil Code and its related regulations.

Whether they are Turkish or foreigners, Turkish relevant authorities do not conduct these marriages, unless the petitioners can provide their marriage licences issued by the proper Civil Status Register of his or her own Country, that they hold the nationality of, respectively.

In the light of this information it is obvious that the married couples cannot again be married in Turkey under the Turkish law.

Conditions for a Valid Marriage

1- Capacity to marry: Only those persons who have sufficient mental capacity to make fair judgments are allowed to marry. Mental illness is, therefore, a bar to marriage. In addition, a person must have reached the minimum age of 18 to marry.

2- Absence of consanguinity: Marriage between close relatives is prohibited.

3- Already existing marriage: Monogamy is one of the essential principles of Turkish family law. A second marriage can not be entered into unless the first is terminated.

4- Waiting period: Married women whose marriage has been dissolved cannot marry before the expiration of three hundred days from the date of dissolution. The divorce decree may also state a waiting period within which the guilty spouse may not remarry.

5- Sickness: Certain sicknesses, such as epilepsy, hysteria etc., constitute a bar to marriage.

Only civil marriages performed by authorized marriage officers are allowed in Turkey.

Necessary documents for marriage:

1- Petition of the marriage. To start an action the groom and bride must file a petition of the marriage. "Evlenme Beyannamesi"

2- Passport, Identification card, birth certificate,

3- Health certificate.

4- 4 pictures belong to bride and groom.

5- Certificate of Capacity to Marry. (Single, divorce, widow or widowed.)